The Jakarta Post, (12/18/2001 10:24:42 PM)
Poso delegations to Malino for peace talks
MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): In the midst of a brutal religious war that has
claimed thousands of lives over the last three years in Poso, Central Sulawesi,
delegations from the two conflicting factions have arrived in Makassar on their way
toMalino to hold peace talks and end the conflict.
Before moving to Malino, a hill resort in South Sulawesi province, a total of 75
delegates, including tribal leaders and those representing an extreme group, met with
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla and local officials atthe
residence of South Sulawesi Governor H.Z.B. Palaguna in the South Sulawesi capital.
Coordinating Minister Kalla who represented the central government, said after the
meeting that the Malino talks would focus on four main matters, security,
socioeconomy, law enforcement and politics.
He said delegations have agreed with the meeting's main agenda to seek a political
solution to the conflict, to enforce the law and to uphold justice, to repatriate refugees
and to rehabilitate all assets which were damaged during the conflict.
The central government has been criticized for its slow reaction to the violence and for
its failure to hold reconciliation talks between the warring factions in the conflictthat
erupted in 1998 and exploded again in the last two months.
The vicious cycle of violence sparked condemnation locally and internationally.
Scores of people have been killed in the most recent phase of the conflict which
involves local Christians and Muslims, many of whom are from an extreme
paramilitary group, the Java-basedLaskar Jihad. Moreover, hundreds of houses,
worship places and school buildings have been burned or damaged since the conflict
flared up again in early November.
Previously, Kalla said all religious and tribal figures who were invited to the meeting
were expected to have a strong commitment to creating peace in restive Poso.
"We hope all delegations representing conflicting factions in Poso will join the meeting
and discuss all problems with a cool head in order to calm down the heated situation
in the regency," he said, adding that the government would play its role as a mediator
in the talks.
He guaranteed the government would not intervene in the talks but function as a
facilitator for the warring sides to resolve their problems.
Kalla hailed the meeting as a preliminary process to create a permanent resolution to
the conflict which will ultimately be aimed at avoiding further bloodshed and military
operations.
All delegations, he said, should bear in mind that if the talks failed to work out a
peace agreement, the bloodshed would continue while security authorities would
launch a military operation to restore security and order in the regency.
"Our main focus is for the two sides to sit together at the table to hold talks and make
significant progress to end the conflict," he said.
He explained that the meeting was a preliminary one, but nonetheless an important
event, and would be followed up with further meetings to seek new steps to create
peace in Poso.
The South Sulawesi Provincial Police deployed around 300 security personnel to step
up security in Malino, a tourist resort in Gowa Regency, 30 kilometers north of
Makassar.
As of Tuesday, the security personnel have been conducting an operation to secure
the location so it is free from any possible disruptions when the meetings take place
on Wednesday and Thursday.
Insp. Gen. Firman Gani, chief of the provincial police, warned that the police would
take strict actions against anybody who attempted to disrupt the meeting.
Asked about any possible demonstrations in the small town, Firman said that all
groups will be allowed to stage demonstrations during the meeting on the condition
that they are held in accordance with the law.
"Anybody is allowed to demonstrate but they are not allowed to disturb or disrupt the
talks," he warned.
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